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    Suf tafsr as a Mirror: al-Qushayri themurshid in his Lat^ if al-ishrt

    Annabel KeelerU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E

    Paul Nwyia once described the Sf exegesis of the Qur'an as 'a play of mirrorsbetween the inward {btin) of the mystic and the inward {btin) of the scripture.'This evocative metaphor is apt in a number of ways. Firstly, it recalls the Sufis' ownrecommendation that the seeker should remove the rust of worldliness from themirror of his soul or heart, polishing it so that it may reflect the truth. The idea ofreflection in a mirror is further suggestive of an illuminative insight that is received,in contrast to the kind of knowledge that is mentally acquired; and the 'play of twomirrors' suggests a reflective infinity, a possibility of proceeding to ever-deeperlevels as the one works upon the other.Some of the ideas evoked by Nwyia's metaphor are included in the Sufis' owndiscussions of the nature and conditions of the esoteric interpretation of the Qur'an.For example, the need for polishing the mirror of the soul as a prerequisite forQur'an interpretation is indicated by a saying of Ibn "At' al-Adam (d. 309/922),cited in the early 5' / l l ' century commentary of Abu '^Abd al-Rahman al-Sulam(d. 412/1021), the Haq'iq al-tafsr}

    The [esoteric] meanings alluded to in the Qur'an {ishrt al-Qur'n)will only be understood by one who has purified his 'secret' {sirr)from all attachment to the world and everything it contains.^

    and likewise, by a saying of al-Hallaj (d. 309/922):"Only to the extent of his outward and inward piety and his mysticalknowledge {ma'^rifa) will the believer discover the inner meanings ofthe Qur'an.

    That the understanding of the inner meanings of the Qur'an is an illumination to bereceived, rather than knowledge to be acquired, is indicated by the Sufis' definition

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    2 Journal of Q ur'anic Studiesknowledge of the Qur'an comprises '[its] exclusive secrets {ichawss al-asrr),subtleties {lat'if) and hidden wonders (maknnt badW^ihi).'^ Ab'l-Qsim al-Qushayr (d. 465 /1072), in the introduction to his esoteric commen tary on theQur'an, the Lat^if al-ishrt, writes that it comprises 'subtleties of [its] mysteriesand lights' (lat^if asrrihi wa-anwrihi), 'delicate allusions' {daqlq ishrtihi),'concealed allegories' {ichafi rumUzihi) and 'hidden mysteries' (maicnnt). Again,al-QushayrI emphasises that these are a divine grace, by saying that God has'illumined' {lawwalia) these hidden mysteries to (or for) the secrets (li-asrr) of thechosen (asy') among His servants.The idea of reflection evoked by Nwyia's mirror metaphor is also conveyed, albeit ina different way, in some of these SOfl definitions - or, more precisely, a differentkind of reflection is indicated by them. For, while the same object will appear as anidentical image in any true mirror, be it round or square, large or small, the truthsreflected in Sf interpretations of the scripture, indeed on any one verse, showconsiderable diversity, and we may note the plural used in the titles of al-Sulaml'sand al-Qushayr's commentaries: HaqHq al-tafslr, Lat'if al-ishrt. Explainingthis diversity in the esoteric interpretation of the Qur'an, al-Qushayr states: 'SOfsarticulate [the inner meanings] of the Qur'an according to the [various] levels(martib) of their [inner] lights and capacities (anwr wa-aqdrihim).'^ A similarstatement is made by the earlier Sufi, Abu Nasr al-Sarrj (d. 378/998). Although, asfar as we know, al-Sarrj did not compile any tafslr of his own, several pages of histreatise on Sufism, the Kitb al-uma\ are devoted to Sufs' elicitation of meanings{mustanbatt) from the Qur'an and Hadth. Al-Sarrj explains that each Sf exegetespeaks 'according to their particular state {hl), and indicates meanings on the basisof their mystical experience (wajd)', and he observes that diversity in the field ofesoteric knowledge is a mercy, just as it is (according to a saying attributed to theProphet) a mercy in the realm of exoteric science, because mystics of every sort -whether novices or adepts, whether engaged in works of devotion or in spiritualmeditation - can derive profit from their words.'On the basis of these statements then, one would expect to find in Sifinterpretations of the Qur'an a diversity that mirrors the degree and variety ofmystical experience of each and every commentator, and can therefore benefitmystics at every stage of the way. However, a close study of Sf commentariesreveals that they reflect not only the states, stations and spiritual ranks of mystics,

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    Suf tafsir as a Mirror 3al-tasawwuf or Risla Qushayriyya, is said to have been one of the most widely readworks in the field of Islamic mysticism, and indeed is so well known that it is oftensimply referred to as the Risla. It is true that al-QushayrI is also known as theauthor of several treatises on Ash'^ar theology,' and that he acquired a reputationfor being a sober and cautious mystic.''' Nonetheless, after the Risla, the Lat'ifal-ishrt is held to be the second most important major work among al-Qushayr'sSuf writings.' Certainly, al-QushayrI intended his Lat'if to be an esotericcommentary, having already composed an exoteric commentary in his youngeryears.'^ Moreover, the Lat'if is said to have been used as a source by later Sufexegetes, such as Rzbihan Baql (d. 606/1209), ' Abd al-Razzq al-Kshn(d. 730/1329) and Ism'^l Haqq BurQsaw (d. 1137/1724),'*' while Rashd al-DnMaybud was heavily dependent on it in the writing of his Persian commentary, theKashf al-asrr. The examples I shall cite in this paper should adequatelydemonstrate the esoteric nature of the content of the Lat'if. However, in thecourse of this discussion I shall point out aspects of the work that might lead some toconsider it as not truly belonging to the genre of mystical commentaries on theQur'an.Before looking at the content of the Lat'if, a few remarks should be made about thestyle and method of al-Qushayrl's commentary. Firstly, it is worth noting that theLat'if appears to have been composed, and does not, therefore, appear to fall intothe category of the kind of exegesis described by Gerhard Bwering as 'mysticallyinspired utterances' in response to the Qur'anic recitation, that are (later) 'jotteddown' next to the Qur'anic phrases.'^ Al-Qushayrl's work is consistently written inan eloquent literary style of Arabic, often in rhyming prose, with abundant,sometimes powerful use of imagery and metaphor, and the inclusion of numerouscouplets of poetry (often love poetry) - far more than is to be found in al-Sulam'scommentary, for example.'^ Among Suf commentators al-QushayrI is unusual inhaving attempted to comment in some way on all the verses of the Qur'an, thoughoften this involves no more than a comment on one or two phrases in the verse.Inevitably, some verses of the Qur'an appeared to al-QushayrI to have less potentialthan others for esoteric interpretation, and therefore occasionally his commentarydoes not appear to go beyond an elaboration or explanation of a verse in its literal,exoteric sense.^" The inclusion of this kind of material may have helped to create theimpression that the Lat'if is not a mystical commentary on the Qur'an. Furthercontributing to this perception may be the fact that al-QushayrI frequently presents a

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    4 Joum al of Qu r'anic Studiesexoteric and esoteric exegetical approaches, referring to the former with expressionssuch as 'in the language of [conventional] exegesis' (bi-lisn al-tafsr), and to thelatter as 'the allusion in it [is]' (wa'l-ishra fihi). Examples of this juxtapositionand/or linking of outer and inner meanings will be seen in due course.Turning now to the content of the Lat'if, and our theme of tafsir as a mirror, thefirst question that might be asked is whether or not we find in the commentary thesober, cautious al-Qushayr the Ash'ar theologian, known to us from al-Risla al-Qushayriyyal The answer to this question must be, to a certain extent, affirmative.Like most SQfs, al-Qushayr insists on the principle that inner realisation or truth(haqiqa) cannot be attained without observance of the religious law (Shar'^a). Thismay, in fact, be one of the reasons for his frequently preceding his esotericinterpretation of a verse with some reference to its exoteric meaning, as notedabove. But we also find him expressing this principle in a manner that indicatessome proclivity for the way of sobriety in mysticism, as when, for example, heinterprets those upon whom is God's blessing (Q. 1:6) as 'those in whom theproprieties and precepts of the Sharfa are preserved when they are overwhelmed bythe sudden descent of realities [to their hearts] {"inda ghalabt bawdih al-haq'iq),so that they do not leave the bounds of knowledge {hadd al-'^ilm) or in any wayabsent themselves from the rulings of the Sharl'a'.^^ Al-QushayrI actually precedesthis interpretation with the words 'and it is said' (wa-qila), which, one might argue,does not preclude its being of his own hand. Yet, al-Qushayr's interpretation ofanother verse throws a different light on this principle. In his commentary on thewords [those wh o] keep u p the prayer... (Q . 2:3), he states: "*

    The companions from among the generality [of believers]strive at the opening of their prayers to bring their hearts to theapprehension (ma"rifa) of the obligatory practice they are performing,but they do not withdraw from the valleys of heedlessness (ghafla).As for the companions from among the elite, they bring their hearts toapprehension of what they are performing, but they do not withdrawfrom the realities of union (wusla). There is a great differencebetween the one who is absent while carrying out the rites of the law,but in the realms of heedlessness, and the one who is absent, butreturns to the rites of the law, with the realities of union.

    The above passage provides an explanation for a preceding statement in which

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    Sf tafsr as a Mirror 5ghayban li-ghaybin). When it comes to making the prayer,[it involves his] establishing its pillars and traditions, then becomingabsent from witnessing these by his 'vision' (rl^ya) of the One towhom the prayer is being made. So, the ordinances that arecommanded are preserved for him through what is coming to himfrom God, he being effaced from consideration of them. The souls[of such servants] are facing the qibla while their hearts are immersedin the realities of un ion.

    This interpretation is suggestive of a sobriety that is not merely a matter of caution,but is rather in conformity with the mystical doctrines of Ab'l-Qsim al-Junayd(d. 297/910), One is reminded, for exam ple, of his doctrine of annihilation 'after'annihilation (fan' a ? ^As far as al-QushayrI the Ash^ar theologian is concerned, points of dogma certainlyoccur here and there, though it should be pointed out that most Sufi commentariesinclude some elements of theology, especially conceming the doctrine of divinepreordination, for example. But in the Lat'if al-ishrt al-Qushayr does notindulge in lengthy theological dispute or argumentation; points of dogma are ratherincluded in passing, as when he comments at an exoteric level on those who b elievein the unseen (Q, 2:3), and briefly explains that the 'unseen' is beyond the bounds ofself-evident knowledge (idtirr), in contradistinction to other religious matters whichmay be known through deduction and analogy (istidll). This is before he passes onto a more mystical interpretation of 'those who believe in the unseen' as: 'thosewhom He frees from mental perception and searching, by the unveiling of lights ,.,for once the suns of their secrets have risen, they have no need of the lamps ofrational deduction (istidll).'^^ Another instance is when he comments on the wordsGod does not shy from drawing compa risons even with something a small as a gnator something larger (Q. 2:26), and explains that, since in relation to God existence isin reality smaller than a single atom of the dust of the air, there is no difference vis--vis His might between the Throne and a gnat - the creation of the Throne is notharder nor the creation of the gnat easier for Him, for He is exalted beyond beingaffected by easiness or difficulty.^^ We also find al-QushayrI as both Shfi'^/Ash'^arand SOf reflected in his interpretation of Q, 1:5:

    Lead us on the straight path ... lest stopping in the lands of blindimitation (taqld) should hinder us from attainment [of the spiritual

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    6 Joum al of Qu r'anic Studiesnumerous comments in the Lat^'ifthat appear to be informed by states and stationsexperienced by its author. A few exam ples w ill suffice to illustrate this here.One instance is when al-Qushayr comments on Q. 2:25, Whenever they are givensustenance from the fruits of these gardens, they will say: We have been given thisbefore, which describes the state of the believers in Paradise. As mentioned above,al-Qushayr frequently commences his interpretation by clarifying the outer meaningof the verse in some way. Thus he observes that, although when the believers inParadise are given the fruit they suppose it to be as before, when they taste it theyfind it to be superior. Then follows his mystical interpretation, which takes the formof an analogy:

    It is the same way for the possessors of realities. Their inward statesare constantly being elevated, so that when one is raised from his[previous] state, he supposes that what he will come to at thatmoment will be like that which preceded it, but when he experiences[lit. 'tastes'] it, he finds it to be superior by twice as much.

    Another example is al-Qushayr's commentary on Q. 2:106, Any revelation that Wecause to be superseded or forgotten. We replace it with something better or similar.Here we find an allegorical interpretation which follows on directly from the verseas a gloss: 'that is. He moves you from one state {hl) to one above it, or higher thanit, and the branch of your union is ever verdant and blooming and the star of yourfavour is ever rising.' As can be seen, al-Qushayr's allegorical interpretation of thisverse has been embellished with metaphors. These metaphors are added to, as hegoes on to explain, again in the form of a gloss:''^

    We never take away any of the traces of worship (or 'service','ibda) without exchanging for them the lights of servanthood{'ubdyya), and We never take away any of the lights of servanthoodwithout causing to rise in their place the moons of slavery

    Yet another example is his commentary on Q. 36:39, We have determined phases forthe moon until finally it becom es like an old da te-stalk. In this interpretational-Qushayr explains the stage in which the seeker is gradually increasing indivinely-bestowed insight, while at the same time his self or nafs (symbolised by themoon) is waning so that eventually he attains the state of annihilation in God (fana").But the person at this level is still at the stage of changeability or vacillation {talwn),

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    Suf tafslr as a Mirror 7insight {baslra) increases, and {his state is perfected) until hebecomes complete, like the [full] moon [which] then graduallydiminishes as it comes closer to the sun, little by little, and the closerit comes to the sun [lit. 'the more it increases in nearness to the sun'],the more it decreases in itself, until it is annihilated, hidden, no longervisible. Then it starts to become distant from the sun and it movesfurther and further away until it becomes [again] full - who couldbring about this alteration in it? Only the decree of the One who ismighty and all-knowing.The one who resembles the sun is the mystic {"rif) who is constantlyin the radiance of his gnosis {ma^rifatihi). He is the possessor ofstability (tamJcln), not vascillating (mutalawwin). [His sun] risespermanently from the zodiac of his felicity; and is not darkened[lit. 'taken'] by any eclipse nor veiled by any clouds.

    Al-Qushayr continues this interpretation by explaining how the servant whoresembles the moon in his changeability, is taken from the state of expansion (bast)to the boundary of union (wisl) but is then brought back to lassitude (fatra) andfalls into a state of contraction {qabd), until eventually God is generous with him andelevates him again to his state of proximity and perfection. In such examples it canbe seen how fully al-Qushayr has allegorised the Qur'anic imagery. Moreover, heoften provides a continuity in his application of these metaphors from one verse toanother that is rare among earlier Sf commentators. In this way he seems to lookforward to later commentators such as 'Abd al-Razzq al-Kshn.In some of his interpretations al-Qushayr shows an acute understanding of what wemight call 'spiritual psychology' as he explains how a state may be experienced atdifferent levels of human consciousness. So, in his commentary on Moses' comingto the waters of M idian, Q. 28:22, he writes:

    Outwardly he reached the springs of Midian, but in his heart hereached the springs of intimacy and ease (uns wa-rawh). There aredifferent springs: the springs of the heart {qalb) are the gardens ofexpansion {riyd ai-bast) [where seekers experience] revelations ofthe [divine] presence (icushft al-muitdara) and delight in all kindsof [divine] graces (multafa); the springs of spirits {arwif) are the

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    8 Joumal of Qu r'anic Studieseternal (istihlk fi'l-samadiyya) and effacement in the all (fan' bi'l-kulliyya).

    In these interpretations, al-QushayrI is clearly alluding to states that are experiencedby seekers who are advanced on the path. However, in many of his comments wealso find him discussing pitfalls that face the wayfarer at more elementary stages ofthe spiritual way. The powerful language that he uses in these interpretations oftenconveys the sense of exasperation that he feels - here we are seeing another side ofal-QushayrI, namely that of the spiritual master (tnurshid) in charge of numerousdisciples, and responsible for their well-being and progress.^* The following are afew examples of this kind of interpretation.The frst such example is al-Qushayr's comment on the Qur'anic simile in Q. 2:17,They are like people who [labour to] kindle a fire, and w hen it lights up everythingaround them G od takes away all their light, leaving them in utter darkness, unable tosee. Al-Qushayr begins by explaining that outwardly this simile refers to thehypocrites, and then continues by showing that the mystical allusion in the verserefers to:'"

    The person who has a good beginning in travelling the path ofspiritual aspiration (irda) and strives for a time, but then experiencesone hardship after another, and turns back to the worldiiness of hisstate prior to his attainment of the truth, subsequently returning to thehuman darkness he was in before.

    Al-Qushayr's metaphorical language now comes into play:His branch put forth leaves but never bore fruit ... Lethargy quicklyeclipsed the moons of his attentiveness. The hand of divine wrath(qahr) repels him, after [initially] the tongue of divine gentleness(/M/) had summoned him.

    Another example is al-Qushayr's commentary on Q. 2:14, which says of thehypocrites: When they meet those who believe they say, 'We believe', but when theygo to their own satans, they say, 'We are with you, we were only mocking.'Al-Qushayr firstly comments at the literal level, explaining that the hypocrites wantto combine two things, but they will be denied them both, and he then remarks:''^

    Similarly, the one who tries to combine the way of spiritual aspiration

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    Suf tafstr as a M irror 9ruins, he has no enjoyment from life. In reality he gains nonourishment from his heart.

    And again commenting on the last part of the same verse he says:Those who cast the reins into the hands of their lusts will be lured bythem into the vales of separateness (tafriqa), and they will not be ableto gain a foothold in any station, because they will be swept away bythose lusts into the wildernesses of alienation.

    The analogical connection between the hypocrites who are being referred to in theverse, and those who are trying to combine spirituality with worldliness or their ownpleasure and lust is, as far as al-Qushayr is concerned, a real one because he seesthem both to be suffering from the same psychological flaw.Al-Qushayr draws on some evocative Qur'anic imagery when, commenting onQ. 2:9, he discusses the situation of the person who falls into the trap of confusingtheir own ego with the divine T , which deception leads to the hardest ofpunishments, al-Qushayr says, 'for they are seeing a mirage, supposing it to besomething to drink, but when they come to it, they discover it to be nothing; instead,they find God, and He gives them their recompense'.'*'It will have been noted that many of these interpretations discussing the situation ofthose who are subject to hazards on the spiritual path take the form of an analogydrawn from verses which exoterically refer to hypocrites or unbelievers. However,sometimes these discussions occur in other contexts, as in the following, whichappears to have been inspired by the Qur'anic imagery of the verse. Hereal-Qushayr is commenting on Q. 36:41, Another sign for them is that W e carriedtheir seed in the laden Ark, and in his commentary he also introduces the imagery ofaya 43 , If Wewished. We could drown them ; they could not be saved.The passage isrich in rhyming prose:

    The allusion in this verse is to the carrying of [His] creatures in theark of safety (salma) across the sea of destiny amid the clashing ofits waves (taltum amwjih), through every kind of fluctuation andimpact (taghyir wa-ta'thir). How many a servant is drowning in hisbusy-ness both day and night (fi-ishtighlihi fl-laylihi wa-nahrihi),not resting for one minute from the labour of his activities (min kadd

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    10 Journal of Qur'an ic Studies(fikrihi wa-blihi) and so his effort does nothing but harm him (m sa^yuhu illfi-wablihi).

    Sometimes, in addition to these insights into spiritual psychology, al-Qushayrl'sinterpretations even provide us with some glimpses into the social background ofSfsm. One example is when he interprets those who 'cause corruption on earth'(Q , 2:11 and 12) as being people who reject the divine proof that has come to themin the form of admonitory thoughts. The result of this rejection, al-Qushayrexplains, is that 'God strips away the blessing in their states and in exchange givesthem ears that are deaf to Him. Moreover He afflicts them with opposing thespiritual path (tarqa) and withholds from them any belief in it'."*^ And there followsthis interesting observation: 'Just as the apostate is the most severe in enmitytowards the Muslims, so the person who returns to worldliness and to the ways ofhabit from the way of spiritual aspiration (irda) is the most severe of people inrejecting this Sf w ay, and the most remote from Sufs.'In his commentary on the next verse. When it is said to them: Believe as the othersbelieve, they say: Shall we believe as the foolish do? (Q. 2:13), al-Qushayr draws ananalogy with wealthy people who, when they are commanded to give up theirworldliness, describe the people of guidance (rushd) as 'lazy and incompetent, andsay that the dervishes don't know anything, and have no property, status, comfort orlivelihood!'.Qne can sense the exasperation of al-Qushayr, the spiritual master, in his commenton another part of the Qur'anic simile cited earlier (i.e. Q. 2:17): They move on whenthe light from the lightning com es, but when there is dark around them they stop (Q .2:20). He writes:"*^

    Similarly just when heedless people are becoming attentive to thetruths that are being preached to them, so that their hearts arebeginning to soften, or some fear enters them which draws themnearer to repentance, they go back and start to think it over. Then theyconsult those who are closest to them, and their families and childrenindicate that they should return to the world, and start giving themadvice and browbeating them about being weak and incapable, sotheir spiritual resolve is weakened and their aspiration falls away.

    We also find interpretations in al-Qushayr's Lat'if which raise the subject of

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    Sufi tafsr as a Mirror 11people of this spiritual path, and the outlay that is made to accomplishthis is that of sincere aspirations not the expenditure of wealth.'*^Their endeavours are entirely dedicated to the continuance of themeans of this tarqa and the regulation of its affairs, w hile their heartsare turned towards the expectation of God's guardianship of itspeople. The 'corruption on earth' of this tarqa is their [the adepts'?]neglect of others who are peripheral to the states they areexperiencing, so that they occupy each other {yatashghalna) withtheir talk and their [own] concerns at the expense of providingguidance to an aspirant {irshd murd) or sharpening the keenness ofa seeker {ishhdh qsid), and this is one of the things that God, be Heglorified, does not approve of from them.

    Such interpretations are perhaps an indication of the structuring and formalisation ofthe Sufi way within the tarqa which was beginning to take place during thisperiod. Th is involved not only the com position of Sun manuals but also thecompilation of lists of rules of conduct for Sufis. Al-Sulam, who, after the death ofAbu ''Al al-Daqqq, was al-Qushayr's spiritual master for a time, was the author ofone such work on this subject.^"In the mirror of al-Qushayr's Lat^if we can also see reflected the sense ofresponsibility that is borne by the spiritual master. The context for this example is al-Qushayr's commentary on Q. 8:25, which reads Beware of discord (fitna) thatharms not only the wrongdoers among you: know that God is severe in Hispunishment. Al-Qushayr begins his interpretation by explaining the implications ofthis verse in terms of the Shar^a, the gist of which is that a person may be taken as acriminal, even if he has not actually committed a crime, simply by aiding andabetting in the crime.'' Al-Qushayr then turns to the esoteric interpretation, startingfrom the point of view of spiritual psychology. He observes that when the servant'commits a slip with his lower self {nafs), a tribulation {fitna) from it will be visitedupon his heart, in the form of an immediate (hardening {al-qaswa al-mu'ajjala)],while his nafs will be afflicted by a punishment to come, and moreover, when thetribulation from that slip emanates from the heart {qalb) upon its desiring what is notright, a tribulation, in tum, will be visited upon his secret {sirr) in the form of aveiling'. '^

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    12 Joum al of Qu r' anic Studies{their being cut off from these blessings} is their share from the fitna,even though they did not themselves commit any sin.

    And he continues with another anonymo us com men t: "It is said that when great people [of the path] are silent instead ofreprim anding the ir juniors,^^ then they will suffer tribulation {forhaving omitted to point out to them], with regard to the things thatthey [the junio rs] did. As they say: 'If fools are not reprimanded theyare as good as commanded.'

    Here the leaders are in effect being punished for neglecting to forbid wrong {nahlal-munkar) in the spiritual pa th.This principle is then applied more widely, as al-Qushayr continues:^^

    Further it is said that when a renunciant (zhid) lowers himself bytaking a dispensation in the law, allowing himself to take more fromthe world than suffices him for his needs, even though it bepermissible (hall) according to the sacred law, the tribulation for thatwill be conveyed to the initiates he is training, and [the tribulationfor] whatever worldly desire appears in him. [Moreover] abandoningthat abstemiousness will result in his being lost in the vales ofheedlessness and with worldly preoccupation.Likewise, when the worshipper {"bid) deviates from what is harderand leaves off what is nobler (awl),^^ this is conveyed to those whoare keen in their spiritual striving. They get set in the way of laziness,then vacuity, and the abandoning of spiritual exertion leads them tofollowing their passions ...... [Similarly] when the mystic ("rifi tums back to something whichholds some pleasure for him, the disciple looks at him, and lassitudeinterferes with the sincerity of the state (munzala) that he had, andthat becomes [the disciple's] portion of the /m a of the my stic.

    We can see in these examples not only the spiritual psychology of the individualmystic, renunciant or worshipper, but also what might be called a 'socialpsychology' of the spiritual community. Again, there are principles in these

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    Suf tafsir as a M irror 13Many of the extracts so far examined may have given a somewhat austereimpression of our commentator. However, the final example from the Lat'ifal-ishrt that I shall discuss here is one that reflects a warmer, more spontaneousside of al-Qushayr, namely his interpretation of Moses and the theophany of MountSinai (Q. 7:143). This interpretation also exemplifies al-Qush ayr's use of th e themeof mystical love, which features more prominently in the Lat'if than it does inal-Sulam's Haq'iq al-tafslr - and, indeed, more than one might expect fromal-Qushayr's Risla, where the subject of love is restricted to his chapters onmahabba and shawq.^^ In this case, the interpretation would seem to confirmGerhard Bwering's observation that Suf exegesis often represents freer and morespontaneous expressions of Suf doctrine than are to be found in the more apologeticmanuals of Sfsm.Before discussing al-Qushayr's commentary it is worth quoting Q. 7:143 in full:

    When Moses came at the time We appointed, and his Lord spoke tohim, he said, 'M y Lord, show Yourself to me! Let me see You! ' Hesaid, 'You shall not see Me but look at that mountain; if it remainsstanding firm you will see Me. ' W hen his Lord revealed Himself tothe mountain. He mad e it crumble. Moses fell down unconscious.When he recovered, he said, 'Glory be to You! To You I turn inrepentance! I am the first to believe!'

    Al-Qushayr begins his commentary on this verse in the form of an expanded glosson the Qu r'anic words. When Moses came at the time W e appointed:^'

    Moses came the way of those who are full of desire, the way of thosewho are madly in love. Moses came, and there was nothing left toMoses of Moses. Thousands of men have travelled great distancesand no one mentioned them, but here is Moses who took just a fewsteps and youths will be reciting When Moses came at the time Weappointed till the Resurrection.

    To begin with, al-Qushayr explains Moses' request for vision as being the effect ofthe overwhelming of ecstasy upon him when he heard the divine speech, and then heexplains it in another way:^^

    When he heard God's speech, Moses became utterly intoxicated, so

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    14 Journal of Q ur'anic Studiesinterpreting Moses' request as a shath al-Qushayr appears here to be condoning it,though he was careful to exclude the shathiyyt of both al-Hallaj and Byazd fromh i R i l ^isAl-Qushayr introduces an element of charm to his commentary by relating thetradition that Moses attempted to gather as many things as possible to say when Hecame to the meeting with God, and took it upon himself to speak for people,^^ askingthem, 'Do you need anything from God? Is there something you want to say to Him?For I am going to commune with Him.' But, al-Qushayr relates, when he came andheard G od 's speech he could not remem ber anything, not one word; instead he spokeaccording to what overwhelmed his heart at that moment and said, 'M y Lord, showYourself to me! Let me see You!'More interpretations are added, each bringing another insight into the effect ofmystical ecstasy:^*

    The person who desires the beloved most intensely is the one who isclosest to the beloved. So it was that Moses was deep-rooted in union,in the place of intimate communing {munjt) with God, curtained allround with [divine] care, vanquished by the sudden onslaughts ofecstatic attainment. Then in the midst of all that he was saying 'M yLord, show Yourself to me! let me see You! ' - as if he was absentfrom the Truth! But then, the more people drink, the thirstier theybecome, the closer they become, the more their desire increases.Union inevitably goes on requiring perfection. Thus God protects thesecrets of His chosen ones from lassitude {fatra).

    Or agam:Moses spoke with the tongue of utter neediness and said, 'ShowYourself to m e - let me at least have one look! This affair is killingme!'

    Al-Qushayr also comments on God's denial of vision to Moses in a number ofways. In one of these, he explains that the affliction for Moses was much greater inGod's saying 'Look at that mountain; if it remains standing firm you will see me',than if God had simply said, 'You shall not see me', because the latter was anunequivocal refusal, and at least there is a certain comfort in renouncing all hope.

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    Su f/a /ir as a Mirror 15whereas he was not, and al-Qushayr adds 'that, by God, was hard indeed!' In spiteof this, there was to be compensation for Moses, for al-Qushayr informs us that afterMoses had fainted at the sight of God's manifestation upon the mountain, he wasgranted, in that state of annihilation from himself, the unveiling of the realities ofQneness (haq^iq al-ahadiyya), and, al-Qushayr adds, 'the Absolute Truth [i.e.God] after the annihilation of the traces of Moses, was better for Moses than Mosesremaining to himself, just as witnessing of God through God is better than thecreature subsisting in itself.*'' Here we have a clear reference to the mysticaldoctrine of annihilation from self (fan^) and subsisting in God (baq").It is noteworthy that many of the themes that al-Qushayr has incorporated into hisinterpretation of Q. 7:143 are central to Islamic love mysticism: the sense of longing,which becomes more intense with proximity to the Beloved; the intoxication of thelover in communion with the Beloved; the cruelty of the Beloved; the desire on thepart of the lover not to see anyone other than the Beloved; and, of course, the lover'sjealousy. These elem ents do not feature in any of the comm ents on Q, 7:143assembled in al-Sulam's Haq'iq al-tafsr.^' How do we therefore explain theunequivocal presence of love in al-Qushayr's interpretation here and elsewhere inhis Lat'if al-ishrtl Certainly, al-Qushayr was not himself known to be aproponent of love mysticism. Yet I believe what we may be seeing in his somewhatdiscreet expression of these themes is, in fact, an indirect reflection of the spiritualclimate in Nshpr at that time, a time when love mysticism was becomingincreasingly prevalent among Sfs.ConclusionSf Qur'an interpretation, as Sfs themselves have described it, reflects thespiritual capacity, the degree of illumination and the diversity of states and stationsexperienced by each and every commentator. From the examples drawn from al-Qushayr's Lat'if al-ishrt examined in this article, it can be said that Sfinterpretation equally mirrors the particular doctrines, spiritual outlook andtemperament (e.g. sober and cautious, or intoxicated), and personal preoccupationsand responsibilities of the commentator. It can also inform us of codes of conductamong Sfs, and even provide us with glimpses into the interaction of Sfs with thenon-Sf community. In this way we can more broadly see a reflection of the processof ordering and structuring of Sfsm within the tarqa, with a growing sense of its

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    16 Joum al of Qu r' anic Studiesthat can be of benefit not only to adepts, but those at the more elementary stages ofthe Path; perhaps he even intended his comments to be of help to others who hadvocations to be murshidn.

    NOTES* In the preparation of this paper I have made use of both Ibrahim BasyOnl's edition of theLat'if al-ishrt (Cairo: Dar al-Ktib al-'Arab, 1968-71), and the Kuprl 117 manuscriptfrom Istanbul. Insertions made on the basis of the manuscript will be between the symbols{ and 1, and corrections made will be indicated in the endnotes.1 P. Nwyia, 'Un cas d'exgse soufie: l'histoire de Joseph' in S.H. Nasr, Mlanges HenriCorbin (Tehran: Kitbfursh!-yi Thri, 1977), pp. 407 -2 3, p. 409.2 Abu 'Abd al-Rahmn al-Sulam, Haq'iq al-tafsr, ed. S. ''Imrn, (2 vols. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-'^Ilmiyya, 2001), vol. 2, p. 302; P. Nwyia (ed.). Trois uvres indites de mystiquesmusulmans (Beirut: Dar El-Mashreq, 1986), p. 155. Editions of the Haq'iq al-tafsr usedhere are 'Imran's recent edition, the selections edited by Nwyia in his Trois uvres indites,and the British Library manuscript MS Or. 9433.3 The word sirr, meaning literally 'secret', is a term used by Sfs to describe a subtle centreof perception or locus of mystical experience deep within the human being. It suggests boththe mysterious, indefinable nature of this inner 'organ', and the ineffability of the higherrealities that are experienced in or through it. There is no adequate translation of this word inEnglish, though it is sometimes rendered by such expressions such as 'innermostconsciousness', 'inmost being' or 'innermost mystery'. On this subject, see Shigeru Kamada,'A Study of the Term Sirr (Secret) in Sufi at'i/Theories', Orient 19 (1983), pp. 7-2 8.4 Al-Sulam, Haq'iq al-tafsr, vol. 1, p. 157; MS Or. 9433, f. 45a. See also Ab'1-FadlRashd al-Dn Maybud, Kashf al-asrr wa-'uddat al-abrr, ed. "A.A. Hikmat(10 vols. Tehran: Am r Kabr, 1952 -60), vol. 2, pp. 61 2- 13 ; vol. 1, pp. 22 9-3 0.5 For example al-Sulam, HaqH q al-tafsr, vol. I, p. 19; MS Or. 9433, f. lb. See also AbuHamid al-Ghazl, Ihy' 'ulim al-dn (6 vols. Damascus: Dr al-Khayr, 1417/1997), vol. 1,p. 30 (part 1.1, K. al-'Ilm, ch. 2, section 2 (on the knowledge of fard kiya), question 3);Maybud, Kashf al-asrr, vol. 2, pp. 61 2-1 3.6 See W. Wright, A Gramm ar of The Arabie La nguage: Translated from the German ofCaspari and Edited with Num erous Additions by W . Wright, 3rd edn, revised by W. RobertsonSmith and M.J. de Goeje (Cam bridge: Cam bridge University Press, 1967), pp. 33 -4 .7 Al-Sulam, HaqHq al-tafsr; MS Or. 9433 f. lb. The word makninat is absent from'Imrn's edition, p. 19.8 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. l ,p. 41. Likewise in MS K uprl 117, f. lb .9 Al-Sarrj, Kitb al-luma" 'l-tasawwuf, ed. R.A. Nicholson, Gibb Memorial Series,(London: Luzac, and Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1914), p. 107; the translation is adapted fromNicholson's summary, p. 31.10 Alan Godlas, although he alludes to its esoteric content, lists the Lat'if al-ishrt along

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    S u n tafsr as a M irror 17

    Cairo by Dar al-Kutub al-Hadtha in 1966. It has been part-translated by Barbara von Schlegelas The Principles of Su fism (Berkeley: Mizan Press, 1992).12 For a list of some of these works see Brockelmann, Geschichte der arabischen Litteratur(5 vols. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1937^2), Supplementband 1, pp. 770-2; I. BasyOn, al-Imamal-Qushayrl slratuhu thruhu madhhabuhu 'l-tasawwuf (Cairo: Majma' al-Buhthal-Islmiyya, 1972), pp. 44 -6 . Som e of these treatises have been published by R .M. Frank inMIDEO 15 (1982), pp. 53-8, and MIDEO 16 (1983), pp. 59-94 .13 This reputation may have accrued to him in part because of anecdotes related in thebiography of Abu Sa^Id ibn Ab'1-Khayr. See, for example, Muhammad ibn Munawwar,Asrar al-tawhldfl maqm t Shaykh Abl Sa'd, ed. Muhammad Rida Shafi' Kadkan (2 vols.Tehran: Intishrt-i gh, 1987), vol. 1, pp. 74-6 (an English translation of which can befound in John O'Kane, The Secrets of God's Mystical Oneness (California: Mazda andBibliotheca Prsica, 1992), pp. 156-7) and Kadkanl's introduction, pp. 41-2. However, al-Qushrayr's sober, cautious image is probably mainly due to the apologetic character of theRisla itself, which Arberry describes as having been 'carefully designed' (Arberry, Sufism, p.71, emphasis mine), while Knysh, drawing on another quote from Arberry, states thatthroughout the Risla al-Qushayrl 'portrays Sufism as "a fairly rigid and clearly definable wayof life and system of thought'". See A. Knysh, Islamic Mysticism: A Short History (Leiden,Boston and Kln: E.J. Brill, 2000), p. 132. See also J. Mojaddedi, 'Legitimizing Sufism in al-Qushayr 's Risala', Studia Islmica 90 (2000), pp. 37-50; J. Mojaddedi, The BiographicalTradition in Sufism (London: Curzon, 2001), ch. 4, for al-Qushayrl's exclusion of al-Hallajfrom the biographical section of his Risala. Qasim al-Samarrai writes that al-Qushayr was'primarily a theologian and then a Sf'(Q. al-Samarrai, The Theme of Ascension in MysticalWritings (Baghdad: N ational Print and Publishing C ompany, 1968), p. 46).14 Qther mystical works by al-Qushayr available in recent printed editions include: the Tartlbal-suluk, a short treatise on dhikr (remembrance of God), edited and translated into English inF. Meier, Essays on Islamic Piety and Mysticism, tr. John Q'Kane (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1999),pp. 93-1 33; the Tahb lrfl 'ilm al-tadhklr, ed. L Basyn (C airo: Dar al-Ktib al-'Arab , 1968);the Arba'a rasa'il 'l-tasaww uf ed. Q. al-Samarrai (Baghdad: al-MaJma" al-'Ilm al-'^Irq,1969); the Kitb al-mi'rj, ed. A.H. Abdel Kader (Cairo: Dar al-Kutub al-Hadtha, 1964); theNahw al-qulb al-kablr, ed. I. Basyn and A."A. al-Jind (Cairo: "^lam al-Fikr, 1994); theNahw al-qulb al-saghlr, ed. A.'A. al-Jind (Tarbulus: al-Dr al-'Arabiyya li'1-Kitb, 1977).Titles of further Sf treatises by al-Qushayr may be found in al-Samarrai, Theme ofAscension, p. 279; Rashid Ahmad (Jullandri), 'Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayr as a Theologian andCommentator', Islamic Quarterly 13 (1969), p. 3 5; Basyn, al-Imm al-Qushayr, pp. 44-6 .15 Halm's article on al-Qushayr in the Encyclopaedia of Islam (art. 'Kushayr' inEncyclopaedia of Islam, 2"'' edn, vol. 5, p. 526), states that al-Qushayr composed his Lat'ifal-ishrt before the year 410/1019. However, it is more likely that he composed his mysticalcommentary later in his life, at the time he was composing his other Sf works, such as theRisla, which was completed in the year 438/1046. According to al-Fris (Kitb al-siyq h'l-ta'rlkh Nlsbr, ed. in facsimile by R.N. Frye in The Histories of Nshapr, Harvard OrientaiSeries, 35 (London: Mouton, 1965), f. 97a) and Subk (Tabaqt at-Sh'iyya al-kubr (6 vols.Cairo: al-M atba'a al-Husayniyya, 1324/1906), vol. 3, p. 245), the title of al-Qush ayr's earlier

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    18 Journal of Q ur' anic Studies

    traditional (exoteric) Qur'anic commentary which were delivered between the years 413 and414 AH, covering Q. 57:21 to Q. 66:12. If this commentary were to be a genuine compositionof al-Qushayr, then it would indicate, surprisingly, that he had Mu^tazil leanings in hisyouth, since the work includes numerous citations of well-known Mu'^tazills, such as Qd'^Abd al-Jabbar, Abu Muslim al-lsfahn, Abu ""All al-Jubb' and Abu ""All al-Fris.Although their names are not given in full, Rashid Ahmad has identified them through acomparison with identical or similar comments cited in the commentary of Fakhr al-DTn al-Rz (see his 'Abu al-Qsim al-Qushayr', pp. 41-6). In the fragment attributed to al-QushayrIthese names are followed by honorifics such as 'may God have mercy upon him', andfurthermore, their comments are not contested, as is the case in al-Rz's tafsr. Also presentin this fragment are comments by earlier mystics such as Yahy ibn Mu'adh and Fudayl ibn'Iyad. Another exoteric commentary often attributed to al-Qushayr is entitled al-TaysJrfl 'ilmal-tafslr or al-Tayslr fCl-tafslr al-Qu r'n, though this is more likely an abridgement by al-Qushayrl's son, Abu Nasr "^Abd al-Rahm al-Qushayr, either of his father's al-Tafslr al-kablr,or of another comm entary of his own. On this subject, see also Fritz Meier, 'Philologika X III',Oriens 3 (1950), pp. 31-107, pp. 46-7, and Gerhard Bwering's review of Richard Grmlich,Das Sendschreiben Al-Qusayrls ber das Sufitum, Freiburger Islamstudien Band, XII(Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1989), in Orientalia 58 (1989), pp. 569 -72.16 See Ahmad (Jullandri), 'Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayr', pp. 67-8.17 It is also evident from examples cited by Bwering in his discussion of al-Qushayr'scomm entary on Q. 24:35, in his 'The Light Verse: Qur 'anic Text and Sufi Interpretation',Oriens 36 (2001) pp. 113-44; from numerous examples translated by Kristin Z. Sands in herSf Commentaries on the Qur'an in Classical Islam (London and New York: Routledge,2006 ); and from so me of the exam ples cited in A. Knysh, art. 'Sufism and the Qur^an' in JaneDmmen McAuliffe (ed.). Encyclopaedia ofthe Qur'an (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2006), vol. 5, pp.137-59.18 G. Bwering, The Mystical Vision of Existence in Classical Islam: The Qur'anicHermeneutics of the Sf Sahl al-Tustarl (d. 283/896) (Berlin and New York: De Gruyter,1980), p. 135.19 Ibn Khallikn notes al-Qushayr's particular predilection for poetry, especially that whichdiscusses the union and separation of lover and beloved. See M.G. de Slane's translation ofIbn Khallikn's Wafayt al-a'yn as lbn Khallikn's Biographical Dictionary, OrientalTranslation Fund (4 vols. Paris: Benjamin Duprat, 1842-71), vol. 2, p. 154.20 For examp le, see his comm ents on Q. 2:250, 251 and 258 , and Q. 4:150.21 Although no Sufi commentary is entirely devoid of exoteric comments. Moreover, it is notalways possible to draw a sharp line between what constitutes an exoteric and an esotericmeaning, as in the case of comments of an ethical or theological nature, for example.However, al-Qushayr's manner of alluding to the exoteric meaning before moving on to theesoteric meaning follows a fairly consistent pattern in the Lat'if. One Sf commentator whotook this principle further is Maybud, who structured his entire commentary, the Kashfal-asrr, so as to juxtapose sections of exoteric and esoteric interpretation on each session(majlis) of the Qur'an.

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    Suf tafsir as a M irror 19

    24 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. I, p. 57. The translation of the Qur'an cited here, andthe majority of following citations from the Qur'an, are taken from M.A.S. Abdel Haleem,The Qur'an: A New Translation (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).25 A l-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. I, pp. 56 -7 .26 That is to say, he becomes absent from this world to the extent that he is present in God.See the definitions of ghayba and hudUr in Abu Nasr al-Sarraj, Kitb al-luma'\ p. 340; AbuBakr al-Kalbdh, Kitb al-ta^arruf li-madhhab ahl al-ta.sawwuf, ed. A.J. Arberry (Cairo:Maktabat al-Kh nj, 1933), p. 87, tr. A.J. Arberry as Doctrine of the Sufis, reprint (C ambridge:Cambridge University Press, 1977), p. 112; Ab'1-Qsim al-Qushayr, al-Risla al-Qushayriyya 'Um al-tasawwuf, ed. 'Abd al-Halm Mahmud and Mahmud ibn al-Sharf(Cairo: Dr al-Kutub al-Hadtha, 1966), pp. 214ff. On the basis of the Kuprl MS I havesubstituted 'li-ghayibin' for 'yughibu'.27 See A.H. Abdel Kader's translation of Junayd's epistle no. 15, on tawhld in A.H. AbdelKader, The Life, Personality and Works of al-Junayd, Gibb Memorial Series, 22 (London:Luzac, 1976), pp. 5 3 ^ (A rabic) and p. 174 (English).28 AI-QushayrI, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 56.29 Al-QushayrI, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 70. See also al-Qushayr's succinct but adamantrefutation of the ascription of place {makn) in relation to God, in his commentary on Q. 2:29(p. 74).30 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 50. On the views of al-Shfi' and al-Shrz (d.476/1083) concerning taqlld see N. Calder, art. 'Takid' in Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2'"' edn,vol. 10, p. 137.31 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 70.32 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. I, pp. 111-12. BasyQn's correction (al-'ubda inplace of al-^ubudiyya) is confirmed by MS Kuprl, f. 20a.33 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 3, p. 218.34 On the hermeneutics of al-Kshn, see Pierre Lory, Les Commentaires soteriques duCoran d'aprs "Abd al-Razzq al-Qshn {Vms: Les Deuz Ocans, 1980).35 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 3, p. 62.36 Al-Qushayr was the foremost disciple of Abu "Al al-Daqqq, as well as his son-in-law,and it is known that at some point after the death of his master, al-Qushayr took charge ofAbu '^Al's madrasa, which eventually came to be known as al-Qushayr's madrasa.According to Richard Bulliet, on the basis of al-Fris's history, this madrasa was really a Sfinstitution and a place where Sf activities took place rather than classes in law or legaldebates. See R. Bulliet, The Patricians of Nishapur: A Study in Medieval Islamic SocialHistory (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1973), appendix 1, p. 250.37 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, pp. 67 -8 .38 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 64.39 This is according to the Kuprl MS, which has 'idh aqbala al-layl', instead of 'idh

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    20 Jou m al o f Qu r ' an ic S tud ies

    42 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 3, p. 218.43 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if ai-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 63.44 A l-QushayrI, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 63.45 A l-QushayrI, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 67.46 A l-QushayrI, La'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 72.47 The word dhimm can also mean security of life and property.48 Ihmluhum hawsht ahwlihim wa-atrf umrihim. Alternatively, this could mean 'theirbeing undisciplined about the peripheral aspects or outer effects of their states', tn any case, Ihave corrected '/mo man iahum' in the Basynl edition to 'ihmlihim', and 'itrq umrihim'to 'atrf umrihim' as per MS Kuprl, f. 12b, both of which seem to make m ore sense in thecontext.49 On aspects of this development in Sfism see Margaret Malamud, 'Sufi Organisations andStructures of Authority in Medieval Nishapur', International Journal of Middle EasternStudies 26 (1994), pp. 427^2; Fritz Meier, 'Khurasan and the End of Classical Sufism' inFritz Meier, Essays on Islamic Piety and Mysticism, tr. John Q' Kane (Leiden: E.J. Brill,1999), pp. 189-219.50 First published in Abu " Abd al-Rahman al-SulamI, Jawmi'^ db al-Sfiyya and "Uyb al-nafs wa-mudwatuh, ed. and intr. Etan Kohlberg, Schloessinger Memorial Series, 1(Jerusalem: Jerusalem Academic Press, 1976), republished in N. Pourjavady (ed.),Majm 'a-yi thr-i Abu ""Aba al-Rahmn al-Sulam (Tehran: Iran University Press,1369/1980-1). Abu Sa'Id ibn Abi'l-Khayr is reported to have drawn up a list of rules forconduct in the S lodge or khnaqh, for which see Frye, Histories of Nishapur, vol. 2, p.74. This list of rules may be found translated in R.A. Nicholson, Studies in Islamic Mysticism(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1921), p. 46, and in A. Schimmel, MysticalDimensions of Isiam (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1975), p. 243. Laterworks on SOfl adab include the Adb al-murdn of Ab'l-Najib al-Suhraward (d. 563/1168),the Adb al-murdln of Najm al-Dn al-Kubr (618/1221), and the Fusus al-db of YahyBkharzi (d. 736/1335-6). On the latter, see M.I. Waley, 'A Kubrawl Manual of Sufism: TheFusus al-db of Yahy Bkharzf in L. Lewisohn (ed.). The Legacy of Persian Sufism(London: Khanaqah-i Ni'm atullahi, 1992), pp. 289- 310 . A good introduction to the subject ofSufi adab works is Fritz Meier's 'A Book of Etiquette for Sufis' in Meier, Essays on IslamicPiety and Mysticism, pp. 49-92, which includes a paraphrase in English of Najm al-DIn al-Kubr's Adb al-murdn. On the concept of adab among early mystics see also N.Pourjavady, 'M bi-majlis-i mihtarn sukhan nagu'tm: frsl g'-yi 'Abd Allah Muba rak vaadab-i Irani', N ashr-i Danish, 16:4 (2000), pp. 21-5.51 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 616.52 Al-QushayrI, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 616. BasyOnl's edition has immediatepunishment (al-'^aqba al-mu'ajjala) for the heart and 'delayed punishment' (al-^aqbaal-mu'ajjala) for the nafs, which is stylistically more pleasing. However, there would also bea logic in al-Qushayr's describing the nature of the tribulation from the heart (i.e. the'immediate hardening' (al-qaswa al-mu"ajjala), mentioned in MS Kuprl, f. 99a) as well as

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    Suf tafsr as a Mirror 21

    57 This is according to Basyn's correction. The MS Kuprl, f. 99b seems to be defectivehere.58 See J. Chabbi, 'Remarques sur le dveloppement historique des mouvements asctiques etmystiques au Khurasan', Studia Islmica 46 (1977), pp. 6-72, and the statistical tablesshowing the occurrence of the terms 'bid, zhid, "an /and sf in the histories of NshpQr inBulliet, The Patricians of Nishapur, pp. 41-2.59 Mention has already been made of al-Qushayr's fondness for love poetry, but we alsooften find that his interpretations allude to the theme of love, as for example in hisinterpretation of Q. 2:1. His commentary on Sura 12 will be discussed below.60 G. Bowering, 'The Qur'an Commentary of al-Sulam' in W.B. Hallaq and D. Little (eds),Islamic Studies Presented to C harles J. Adams (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1990), p. 55.61 A l-Qushayr, Lata'if al-ishrt, vol. I, p. 564.62 Al-Qushayr, Lata'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 56 5.63 On the phenomenon of shathiyyt see Carl W. Ernst, Words of Ecstasy in Sufism (Albany:State University of New Y ork Press, 1985).64 See J. Mojaddedi, The Biographical Trad ition, pp. 116-17.65 That is, reading khalq according to the MS Kuprl, f. 88a, as opposed to haqq in theBasyn edition.66 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 565.67 Al-QushayrT, La'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, pp. 565-6.68 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. I, p. 567.69 Al-Qushayr, Lat'if al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 566. On the basis of MS Kuprl, f. 88a, I havecorrected 'shuhd al-haq'iq bi'l-haqq', to 'shuhud al-haqq bi'l-haqq', which seems morelikely in the context of the words that follow: 'atammu min baq' al-khalq bi'l-khalq.'70 All these elements are to be found in the writings of proponents of Khursn lovemysticism such as Ahmad Ghazl, Rashd al-Dn Maybud, 'Ayn al-Qudt Hamadn andShihb al-Dn Ahmad S am 'n.71 I have found this equally to be the case in the comparative study of SDf commentaries onSrat Yisuf that 1 am at present com pleting. Th is is particularly evident in relation to thefgure of Jacob, who begins to be associated with theme of love in al-Qushayr's Lai'if al-ishrt, while there is virtually no mention of love in relation to him in the commentary of al-Sulam.72 An ethos which is much more directly reflected in M aybu d's Kashf al-asrr, for which seeChapters Three and Eour of my forthcoming Sufi Hermeneutics.

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